In her former life, Julie Fry was the first employee of Chuckit!, the ubiquitous, bright orange fetch toy that dog owners use to launch balls long distances. When Julie was introduced to the company in 1999 she was at a park with her dog where the owner was selling the toy out of his van.

It’s Small Business Week – and that means that it is time to salute some of the vibrant businesses that make our communities strong. One of our favorites is Hood Famous Bakeshop. Its story started in 2013, when owners Chera Amlag and George Quibuyen hosted a one-night pop-up in collaboration with a local Filipino restaurant.

Christopher Stone Business Impact NW: Tell us about the work you do for Business Impact NW’s lending department? “As Loan Portfolio Manager, my job touches many aspects of the business lending cycle. The first – and most important – is working with prospective borrowers at the beginning of the lending process. While “the numbers” are

Founding Owner of HeartBeet Monika Kinsman approached Business Impact NW when she needed to move her food business from its original location in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood to Queen Anne. Many businesses on her former 65th Street location had already moved when the city converted parking spaces into a bike lane, which led to a 50%

Effie Garcia, the founding owner of the Student Success Center of Orting has a long history of helping children learn and grow. She is guided by her belief that all children, no matter their socio-economic status or geographic location, deserve access to places that provide an enriching educational environment. “I started teaching preschool 20 years

Business owners have a lot on their plates. From sales, fulfillment, and hiring to HR, payroll, and marketing, there’s a lot to do and a lot that can fall by the wayside. One of the things that can seem non-urgent—until it turns into a crisis—is financial management. Ironically, the mistakes you make here can be

Marketing is a frame of mind and it touches all aspect of your business. Think about it, when you pitch an investor, that’s marketing. When you’re working on your customer acquisition strategy, that’s marketing. When you’re entering a cross-promotional partnership with your neighboring small business – you guessed it – that’s marketing. For some people,

Business Impact NW last spoke to Sean Kelly in October 2017 a few months after he opened Sean’s Clay Corner. In one year’s time, his business grew so quickly that he had to relocate to a larger space in order to serve his growing membership base. “I was full and couldn’t take any more people,”

The issue of discrimination in lending is complex and systemic. Whether occurring overtly or otherwise, it is a hindrance to small business owners and adversely impacts communities. “This goes back a ways and it’s not just lending,” says Business Impact NW, SVP and Senior Loan Officer, Roland Chaiton. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 was established

Monday, March 4, 2019 – 13:27 Jackie Bayne, Office of Equal Opportunity, 360-705-7084 OLYMPIA – A unique partnership between the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit and Washington state-based credit unions will help underserved businesses participating in WSDOT’s Capacity Building Mentorship program with alternative financing options. The mentorship program has been operating successfully since